Chapter 81

Ji Wei had never imagined such an answer.

Click.

A faint crack appeared on his shell. As the seconds ticked by, the crack grew wider, eventually shattering from the inside out.

His tightly clenched fist slowly, slowly relaxed, as if he had exhausted all his strength. His entire body suddenly went limp. He no longer worried if it was an illusory dream; if a dream could be this beautiful, he was willing to be trapped in it forever, never to wake.

He heard his own voice tremble slightly. “Have we met before?”

Why didn’t he have any memory of it? A hint of bewilderment filled Ji Wei’s eyes.

“In the autumn three years ago, I saw someone at a hospital in Beijing,” Lu Shenxing began slowly, pausing before he continued. “He was sitting amidst a carpet of ginkgo leaves, drawing. At that moment, I thought to myself—”

“He was the person I wanted to propose to, the only person I wanted to propose to.” The man’s voice was gentle yet resolute.

Ji Wei remembered. He had gone to a hospital in Beijing for a follow-up appointment three years ago, but he didn’t recall meeting Lu Shenxing. He only remembered being filled with pride that year because Lu Shenxing had won seven Film Emperor awards for his role in Wind of Qin.

That was his idol. After years of obscurity, he had finally shot to fame overnight.

Ji Wei abruptly looked up, his gaze meeting Lu Shenxing’s clear, dark eyes. For the first time, he saw that those inky black pupils reflected only his own face.

He finally realized—

While he was looking up at Lu Shenxing,

Lu Shenxing was also silently watching him.

He wasn’t an emotionally sensitive person, but for some reason, his eyes began to burn, and a lump formed in his throat. He quickly lowered his head and stood up to hide his loss of composure. “I’ll go heat up some milk.”

“Go on,” the man said, not stopping him.

Ji Wei walked into the kitchen and placed a carton of fresh milk into the microwave.

Heating milk wasn’t a difficult task; it only required setting the time and pressing a button.

But he took a full twenty minutes.

He leaned his hands on the kitchen counter, his mind racing with questions. He wondered what he was like three years ago and whether Lu Shenxing would stop liking him in the future. In the end, his thoughts were a tangled mess, a problem that seemed far beyond his scope of knowledge.

He sent a text message to Chen Yan.

[Ji Wei] Lu Shenxing confessed to me!

Chen Yan was probably out at a bar, so it took him a while to reply.

[Chen Yan] Not bad, Ji Wei! You got him in just a few days. How did you respond?

[Ji Wei] Respond? My mind’s a bit of a mess. I said I was going to heat up some milk.

[Chen Yan] ……

[Chen Yan] What kind of response is that? You should have kissed him! Otherwise, he’ll think he’s been rejected.

Ji Wei’s hands paused over his keyboard. He genuinely hadn’t thought of that.

[Ji Wei] What should I do then?

[Chen Yan] Tell him you like him too.

Ji Wei froze.

[Ji Wei] Okay, thanks!

[Chen Yan] Don’t mention it. My dad’s gold store is opening tomorrow morning. Can you come over and help him write a sign?

[Ji Wei] No problem. Just send me the time and address.

He turned off his phone and opened the microwave. The milk inside was now lukewarm. He took two glass cups from the cabinet, took a deep breath, and walked out of the kitchen carrying the two cups of milk.

Lu Shenxing was still sitting on the sofa, looking at a script with great focus.

Afraid of disturbing him, Ji Wei walked over with light footsteps.

He sat down across from Lu Shenxing and placed the two cups of milk on the coffee table.

He remembered Chen Yan’s words. His mouth opened several times, but he closed it again each time.

He stole a glance at Lu Shenxing. His idol’s script this time seemed quite difficult; he had been staring at the same page for a full fifteen minutes without turning it.

Ji Wei felt as if he had used up all his courage for the day. He took out his phone and logged into his Weibo side account.

[Brother Lu’s Little Fanboy] I really like Lu Shenxing so much!

Lately, aside from checking in on the Super Topic, he rarely used this side account.

As a dose of reality, the number of replies to his posts had been dwindling.

[Illuminating Moon] Hahaha, to be honest, I like him too!

[Maxwell’s Equations] Does your partner know you’re confessing your love like this on Weibo?

After posting on Weibo, Ji Wei felt much calmer. He picked up his cup, took a sip of milk, and feigned composure as he began to speak. “I…”

He had only uttered a single word when the man closed the script in his hands and looked over at him expectantly, as if anticipating something.

Ji Wei grew nervous and swallowed the words he had prepared. “I’m drinking milk. Do you want some? It helps with sleep. You’ll have a good dream.”

It was already ten o’clock.

Lu Shenxing stood up from the sofa, taking the script with him.

Ji Wei put down his own cup and picked up the other one from the coffee table, handing it to Lu Shenxing.

He didn’t get it wrong this time.

The man passed by him, very close, so Ji Wei didn’t get up, simply handing the cup of milk toward Lu Shenxing’s hand.

Lu Shenxing stopped, but instead of taking the cup, he suddenly leaned down and kissed him.

Ji Wei was still holding a full cup of milk, and afraid of spilling it, he didn’t dare move an inch. He could only let the man meticulously lick away the ring of milk foam from his lips, his own lips being faintly brushed against in the process.

He trembled for two seconds, his entire body frozen stiff.

“I will have a good dream.”

The man straightened up, looking down at him as he spoke slowly and deliberately.

Ji Wei’s face turned red. His heart immediately began to pound traitorously, and he wished he could bury himself in the sofa.

***

When Xu Sheng walked out of the detention center, it was eight in the morning, the exact time he had been arrested.

He returned home, but contrary to his expectation of finding it empty, someone was there.

A person stood with their back to him, watering the plants on the terrace.

“Teacher, what are you doing here?” Xu Sheng took a few steps forward, his voice a little hoarse.

Since his detention, his old friends had cut off all contact with him, fearing they would be dragged down with him.

Only his teacher treated him the same as always, regardless of whether he was a poor student from a mountain village, a famous young painter, or a suspect released on bail pending trial.

“Just watering your flowers,” Lin Yiqiu said without turning around.

“Teacher, you should stay away from me. I’m afraid I’ll drag you down,” Xu Sheng said, pursing his lips.

“You’re aware you can drag people down?” Lin Yiqiu stopped what he was doing. “I taught you how to paint, but did I ever teach you to forge? Did I ever teach you to launder money? I helped arrange your release on bail, but I can’t help you any further. You’re looking at a minimum of ten years in prison.” Lin Yiqiu coughed heavily.

Xu Sheng quickly took the watering can from Lin Yiqiu. “Teacher, your hands are not well. Let me do the watering.” He didn’t want to make excuses for himself.

He had been helping manage the affairs of the Yiqiu Art Museum. Although the Lin family was a prestigious clan, Lin Yiqiu wasn’t involved in managing the family’s business, his only source of income being a trust fund.

He didn’t want his teacher to know that the art museum was already in the red from years of purchasing expensive artworks.

“Don’t provoke the Lu family again.” Lin Yiqiu left with only this one sentence.

For the first time, Xu Sheng didn’t say “yes.”

After Lin Yiqiu left, he made a phone call.

A rather cold voice came through the phone. “Who is this?”

“Xu Sheng.”

Holding the phone, Xu Sheng walked into the dark studio, which gave him a great sense of security.

“I’m calling to say thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might have gone further and further down the wrong path, and I might have been sentenced to life.” His tone was very sincere.

“What are you trying to say?” Lu Shenxing’s voice was gentle, yet it carried an unmistakable chill.

“I just wanted to give you a reminder.” Xu Sheng switched the phone to his other hand. “Ji Wei’s maternal grandfather is named Ye Lang. He used to be a student of my teacher. He went mad at the age of twenty-five. A madman’s genes can be inherited. Their blood is cold; you can’t warm it no matter how hard you try. Do you really think Ji Wei likes you?”

“My teacher was so good to Ye Lang, yet he still stabbed my teacher’s hand and even abandoned his own child.”

The voice on the other end of the line was silent for two seconds. “So?”

Xu Sheng was speechless. After a long pause, he finally said, “You’re a madman too.”

He had thought Lu Shenxing was unaware of Ji Wei’s background, which was why he protected him so fiercely. He had merely sent someone to spy on him and was met with retaliation from the Lu family.

It turned out Lu Shenxing knew everything and still held Ji Wei protectively in his arms, not letting anyone get even an inch closer. If that wasn’t a madman, what was?

But was the Lu family really that incredible?

He hung up the phone.

***

At half-past eight in the morning, Ji Wei arrived at Chen’s Gold Store, located on the first floor of Times Square.

Chen Yan introduced him to his father. “This is Ji Wei. His calligraphy is exceptionally beautiful.”

Chen Yan’s father had his secretary bring over a 22K gold chain weighing a full 40 grams. “I’ve heard Yan Yan mention you several times. As an uncle, I must give you a meeting gift, or else I’d be a laughingstock.”

“No, no, it’s not necessary,” Ji Wei said, shaking his head quickly.

Hearing this, Chen Yan’s father’s face fell. “If you don’t accept it, you’re looking down on me.”

Chen Yan also nudged Ji Wei’s arm. “Just take it. Otherwise, he’ll nag for ages.”

Ji Wei had no choice but to accept it.

Chen Yan’s father immediately beamed with joy.

So his anger just now was all an act…

Ji Wei said, “…Thank you, Uncle.”

Chen Yan’s father went off to greet other guests.

He learned from Chen Yan that his father had made his fortune in coal mining, becoming a multimillionaire before he was thirty. His only regret was that he had only attended junior high and lacked culture. To get Chen Yan into Yancheng University, he had spent over a million on tutoring fees during his three years of high school. When his dream of getting his son into a prestigious university finally came true, he was so happy that he bought his son a sports car.

Many people had come today, not just customers but also Chen Yan’s father’s business partners.

Chen Yan greeted them, and Ji Wei followed by his side.

A square-faced middle-aged man glanced at Ji Wei, then turned to Chen Yan with a smile. “When we were playing cards yesterday, your dad said he hired someone to write the sign. It couldn’t be him, could it?”

Chen Yan nodded. “He’s my classmate, Ji Wei.”

The man was amused but didn’t show it, instead whispering to his two friends beside him.

“Old Chen has always had no taste. What kind of calligraphy can a young kid write?”

“All the hostesses today are in bright red cheongsams. Does he think he’s still running a shop in Cape Alley? Hardly anyone is here.”

“Well, he’s a coal boss, after all. He’s different.”

…

The opening ceremony officially began at nine o’clock. First, the host warmed up the atmosphere, followed by a very down-to-earth song and dance performance that attracted a crowd of elderly onlookers. The calligraphy demonstration was the final segment.

“Next, let’s invite Mr. Ji to write the sign for Chen’s Gold Store!”

The host looked at Ji Wei.

A round of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted.

Ji Wei walked onto the stage, feeling a bit embarrassed.

In the audience, Luo Na recognized Ji Wei and frowned. “Is he going to write in Slender Gold style?”

Luo Na’s female companion thought she was still upset about the physics problem from last time and said carefully, “Ji Wei’s Slender Gold style is quite good, isn’t it?”

In fact, she wanted to say it was excellent. She had even secretly reposted Ji Wei’s lottery post on Weibo, hoping to win the hand-painted fan face he was giving away. But with Luo Na present, she didn’t dare praise him too much.

“I know it’s good.” Luo Na watched Ji Wei on stage, who was now holding a brush. “But the strokes of Slender Gold style are sharp and angular, completely unsuitable for large characters. If he tries to thicken the strokes, he’ll lose its unique charm.”

Her companion then realized that the Xuan paper on the stage was a full two meters long. What Luo Na said made sense. Ji Wei always wrote small characters in Slender Gold style; she had never seen him write on such a large sheet.

She couldn’t help but feel worried.

Ji Wei didn’t start writing immediately. He rarely wrote such large characters. The larger the character, the more it tested one’s sense of layout and structure; even the slightest mistake would be noticeable. So this time, he mentally went over the form of the characters three times before dipping his brush in ink.

Despite his caution, once he finished a character, he didn’t pause for even a moment.

Calligraphy requires a continuous flow. Any pause in the middle would create a noticeable sense of stagnation. An amateur might not see it, but an expert would shake their head at a single glance.

Therefore, to the audience below, it seemed as if he wrote the sign with effortless, fluid strokes, almost without thinking. The young women in the crowd recognized Ji Wei and took out their phones to record videos.

“So fast.”

Luo Na’s companion exclaimed.

Just as Luo Na was about to speak, the host mounted the finished calligraphy onto the blank sign. She looked up listlessly, but when she saw the large characters clearly, her eyes filled with astonishment. “It’s actually Yan style.”

The four characters “Chen’s Gold Store” were full-bodied and powerful, with a majestic presence, completely different from the sharp and untamed Slender Gold style.

He had even mastered it better.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that these vigorous characters came from Ji Wei’s hand.

She suddenly sighed. She should have known.

Slender Gold style was not a suitable style for beginners. Ji Wei must have practiced other styles.

What enviable talent.

Luo Na couldn’t help but think this. Seeing that the opening ceremony was about to end, she said to her companion, “Let’s go.”

“Aren’t you going to say hello to Chen Yan?”

Her companion was a little anxious.

“I didn’t come here to talk to him. I just wanted to look around.”

Although she said that, Luo Na still glanced in Chen Yan’s direction before leaving.

Chen Yan’s father’s friends were clearly stunned. They walked up to him and couldn’t help but look him up and down.

“Old Chen, you’re really something. Where did you find someone like him?”

“I’ll never say you have bad taste again. I feel like the calligraphy I bought for eighty thousand isn’t as good as your sign.”

“As expected, it’s different when your son goes to Yan University. Even a random classmate is this amazing.”

Although you could only take half of what business friends said seriously, Chen Yan’s father felt incredibly pleased hearing these words. He felt a sense of vindication and couldn’t help but look at his own sign several more times. The more he looked, the more he liked it. He grabbed Ji Wei and insisted he stay for lunch.

Ji Wei couldn’t refuse and was about to agree when his phone vibrated.

[Lu Shenxing] I’m waiting for you at the entrance of the plaza.

Why was his idol here?

Ji Wei’s heart skipped a beat. He put away his phone. “Uncle Chen, I’m sorry, but I really have something to do.”

Chen Yan’s father was about to say more, but Chen Yan pulled him away. “I’ll treat him next time, okay?”

Ji Wei said goodbye to them and then walked out of the plaza.

When he reached the roadside, he saw Lu Shenxing’s car from a distance.

He opened the car door and got in.

“What are you doing here?” Ji Wei asked after fastening his seatbelt.

“Just passing by,” Lu Shenxing said lightly, his expression looking a bit weary.

“Oh.” Ji Wei’s intuition told him that Lu Shenxing was not in a good mood.

The ride was silent.

It wasn’t until they returned home that the oppressive feeling emanating from Lu Shenxing dissipated.

He belatedly remembered to ask, “But this morning, didn’t you say you weren’t going out?”

How could he be passing by…

“Do you want to hear the truth?” the man suddenly asked.

Ji Wei was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Lu Shenxing lowered his eyes. “It’s true, I wasn’t just passing by—”

After his call with Xu Sheng, he had sat in the study for a long time.

He knew what Xu Sheng was thinking. He didn’t mind if Ji Wei’s affection for him was less than his own, or even if there was none at all; he would gladly accept it. But he suddenly had an intense, overwhelming urge to see Ji Wei.

He walked toward Ji Wei, step by step.

Ji Wei could only retreat until there was nowhere left to go. He was pressed against the wall, tightly confined in an embrace.

“I missed you.”

“I wanted to fuck you so hard you couldn’t get out of bed.”

“But I couldn’t bear to.”